Relapse of driving on my own phobia

[Mermaid16]

I was doing really well and felt like I had got past all of this. But the last couple of days I have relapsed. It is that time of the month and I have been reducing Sertraline (although it doesn't feel as if either of these two are responsible for the way I am feeling). I worry all day about driving. I have kids in school and they do sports on the weekend. I usually try and get someone to come with me. My partner has had enough and says I need to do it on my own and get my confidence back. I convince myself or actually make myself feel sick with worry before I leave and then once I come home and know I don't have to drive again I'm fine. I can't bear to disappoint my children by not taking them to their sports. So sick of this. I make progress and then I go back to step one. Just need to have a bit of a whinge and get it out.

[bdale1234]

I hope you feel better. I know Anxiety is so difficult to deal with. I understand completely. But you are strong.

[Shazamataz]

Just keep at it Tracy. It's so hard but if you give in and stop doing your usual things it will be hard to get back to it again. Spoken from experience.

Hugs
xx

[bdale1234]

I am very proud of you Tracy .

[Mermaid16]

Thanks Beth and Sharon! Having a few bizarro days at the moment. I think cutting down the sert is catching up with me. Anxiety has been high again even at home with no stressors. Then just feeling really weird, like a bit of derealisation or whatever that is called. Then balling my eyes out and feeling like I'm going right back to the start when things were really bad, and then tonight, feeling almost back to normal again. When I was feeling sorry for myself, laying on the bed balling my eyes out, I thought of you Beth and thought Beth looks after Emma everyday, even when she feels shit, she is there for her. So I pulled my blubbering self up off the bed and went and sat with my kids and watched a movie with them. Fingers crossed tomorrow is a better day for us all. Your friendship means the world to me Beth...so thank you for being you xx

[pulisa]

Tracy, I'm so sorry you're going through a blip but I would reiterate what Shaz and Beth have said and keep going with the driving because it will be even more difficult to psyche yourself to drive up if you stop and you will feel guilty for "letting your kids down" even though I'm sure they would understand and this would put more pressure and anxiety on you.

I have been through the same thing and just had to keep going through the worst of it. I was terrified about driving especially if there was someone else's child in the car but stopping driving wasn't an option for me.

I know you're terrified of a relapse and it's something we all dread when we have come out the other side of hospitalisation. It's still early days for you and there are going to be blips along the way. I'm not convinced that meds tapering is to blame-sometimes these things just happen xx

[bdale1234]

Thanks Beth and Sharon! Having a few bizarro days at the moment. I think cutting down the sert is catching up with me. Anxiety has been high again even at home with no stressors. Then just feeling really weird, like a bit of derealisation or whatever that is called. Then balling my eyes out and feeling like I'm going right back to the start when things were really bad, and then tonight, feeling almost back to normal again. When I was feeling sorry for myself, laying on the bed balling my eyes out, I thought of you Beth and thought Beth looks after Emma everyday, even when she feels shit, she is there for her. So I pulled my blubbering self up off the bed and went and sat with my kids and watched a movie with them. Fingers crossed tomorrow is a better day for us all. Your friendship means the world to me Beth...so thank you for being you xx

Thank You so much I hope you feel better soon.